Weighing-scale.



PATENTED SEPT. 1,1903.

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No. 737,901 v J. COLLINS. -WEIGHING SCALE: APPLICATION FILED DBO. 26,1902;

I0 KODEL.

WI TNSSES BATENTED SEPT. 1 1903. J. COLLINS. WEIGHING SCALE APPLIOAMQJ:FILED 1mg. 26, 1902.

2 SHEETB8HBET 2.

N0 MODEL.

WITNESSES:

INVENTOR 114E602 CZZZZ'JZJ A mm rs.

UNITED STATES Patented September 1, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB COLLINS, OF SEWEE, TENNESSEE.

WEIGHING-SCA LE.

dated September 1, 1903.

Application filed December 26,1902. Serial No. 136,568. (No model.)

T0 at whom, 7 771/661] concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB COLLINS, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Sewee, in the county of Meigs and State of Tennessee, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Weighing-Scales, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact deseription.

My invention relates to improvements in weighing-scales, in which I seekto provide simple and eflicient means adapted for operation in a way toascertain the relative values of commodities which differ in valuessuch,for example, in using the apparatus by wheatmillers to determine thequantity of flour and bran to be given in exchange for a predeterminedor unknown quantity of wheat the grade or quality of which may be up toor below a required standard.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear in the courseof the subjoined description and the novelty will be de fined by theannexed claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a weighing-scale constructed inaccordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sec- .tionon the plane indicated by the dotted line line 2 2 of Fig. 4. Fig. 3 isavertical section at right angles to Fig. 2 and taken in the plane ofthe dotted line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. at is a sectional plan View on theline 4 4 of Fig. 3.

In carrying my invention into practice I employ ahollow base 5, which isprovided at its rear edge with a chambered upstanding member 6 and fromthis member rises a hollow post '7, adapted to carry the usual head 8,similar to ordinary platform-scales. The hollow base is elongatedsufficiently to carry or support a series of independent platforms 9 1O11, each of which is separately mounted in the base to have a limitedamount of vertical play therein, said platforms lying substantiallyflush with the top of the base and with each other.

The chambered post or column '7 is provided at a point just below thehead 8 with a vertical slot 12, ahrough which freely passes a scale-beam18. This scale -bean1 is fulcrumed by knife-edged bearings 14L in aclevis or hanger 15, suspended from the head 8, and one arm of thescale-beam is provided with graduations 16, adapted to indicate theweight in pounds. 011 this graduated arm of the beam is fitted aslidable poise 17 and to the free end of the beam is loosely connected aweight-hanger 18, the same being similar to devices ordinarily used inthe art. The scalebeam 13 is provided on the opposite side of itsfulcrum from the graduated arm with an extension 13, arranged orconstructed to form a slot 19, the upper edge of said slot being boundedby a threaded rod 20, on which is screwed an adjustable balance 21, thelatter serving under certain conditions to restore the balance of thescales when certain parts of the platforms 10 or 11 are adjusted, aswill be hereinafter described. The member 13 of the scale-beam isprovided with two series of notches, (indicated at of this member 13adjacent to the series of notches 22 is graduated to indicate the weightin pounds of flour proportionately to each bushel of wheat and adaptedto be placed on the platform 10, while the member 13 is furthermoregraduated adjacent to the notches 23 to indicate the weight in pounds ofbran proportionately to each bushel of wheat and which is adapted to beplaced on the remaining platform 11 of the series supported by thehollow base 5.

Beneath each platform J 10 11 of the series is arranged a part of thescale mechanism, the same being shown more particularly by Figs. 3 and4. The devices just referred to consist of two levers 24 25, each havingthe .shape shown more particularly by Fig. 4.

The lever 24. is substantially V-shaped, and the arms of this lever atone end thereof are supported within the hollow base by knifeedgedbearings 26. The other lever 25 is provided with an arm 27 and with aslot 28, said lever 25 being substantially Y-shaped. This lever hasits'terminals fulcrumed within the base by knife-edged bearings 29, andthe arm 27 of the lever is extended across the lever 24 and into thechamber of the upstanding hollow member 6, forming a part of theframework. (See Fig. 3.) It will be observed that the companion levers2a 25 are fulcrumed at 22 23,) and the face 7 bered member (5.

opposite ends in the chambered base 5, and that the lever 24 is disposedin underlapping relation to the slotted part 28 of the arm 2 forming apart of the -Y-shaped lever This under-lapping end of the lever 24 isbent to produce an arm 30, having a knife-edged bearing 31 in theslotted part 28 of the leverarm 27, thus operativel y connecting thelevers 24 at their meeting ends. Each platform is provided with a seriesof depending posts 32, arranged to engage with the levers 24 25 byknife-edged bearings, (indicated by dotted lines at 33 in Fig. 3 of thedrawings.)

Although I have described the parts 24 and 25 as being fulcrumed orconnected by knifeedged bearings, I have not considered it necessary toparticularly illustrate this detail in the drawings, because thesefeatures are wellknown expedients to those skilled in the art, and,furthermore, I reserve the right to fulcrum and connect the parts by anywell known equivalent means. The lever mechanisms of the series ofplatforms are connected operatively with the scale-beam 13, but theselevers do not have direct connection with said scale-beam.

The arm 27 of the lever 25 associated with each platform extendsrearwardly into the chamber formed by the hollow upstanding member 6 ofthe framework, and these arms of the series of levers 27 are providedwith links 34. (See Figs. 2 and 3.) The link which is connected with thelever 25 of the platform 9 is pivoted by a knife-edged bearing 35 to alever 36, said lever being fulcrumed at one end by a knife-edged bearing37 in the cham- The link 34 is connected to the middle of the lever 36,and the other end of this lever has pivotal connection by a knife-edgedbearing 38 with an upstanding rod or pitman 39, the latter being pivotedin a permanent manner by a knife-edged bearing 40 to the scale-beam 13,at a point adja cent to the fulcrum 14 thereof. The lever 25 of the nextplatform 10 of the series has its link 34 connected to another lever 41at a point quite close to the fulcrum 42 of said lever, as shown by Fig.2, and the other end of the lever 41 is connected pivotally at 43 to anupstanding rod 44, the latter being formed at its upper end with a hook45, the lower edge of which is beveled so as to form a knife-edgedbearing adapted to engage with the notches 22 of the scale-beam. Thelever 25 associated with the platform 11 has its link 34 connected toanother lever 46, the latter being hung at one end in the chamberedmember (5, as indi cated at 47 in Fig. 2. The link 34 is pivoted to thelever 46 in a way to provide long and short arms, the short arms beingfulerumed at 47, while the long arm is extended over the lever 41, so tohave its free end, which has a knife-edged bearing 48, he in thevertical plane of the post or column 7. This long arm of the lever 46 ispivoted to an upstanding rod 49, the upper end of which rod is bent toprovide a hook. 50, having a knife-edge adapt ed to shii'tably engagewith the series of notches of the scale-beam.

By reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the levers 36, 41, and 40are disposed in such a way that one arm of each lever terminates in thevertical plane of the hollow post '7 and that the series of rods 39, 44,and 49 all lie within said hollow post, so that the upper ends of theseries of rods may engage with the scale-beam, and at the same timethese rods are spaced apart to allow the rods 44 and 49 to be shiftedrelatively to the notches 22 23 of said scale-beam. The pivotalconnection of the levers 41 46 and the pivotal connection of the rods 4449 to the levers 41 46 are made by knife-edged bearings, as shown byFig. 2.

The weighing-scales herein described are especially adapted for use bymillers in computing the difference between two or more commodities ofdifferent values, and at the same time the scales are adjustable to thedifferent grades of values of said commodities. For example, a customerbrings to a millera lot of wheat which proves to be a high-grade No. 1article. The miller must give to the customer forty pounds of flour tothe bushel of wheat and ten pounds of bran for the bushel. In weighingthe wheat it is placed on the platform 9 and the poise 17 is shifted onthe beam to ascertain the weight. The miller now removes the wheat fromthe platform 9 and the hook of the rod 44 is adjusted to the graduationindicating forty on the notched scale 22, thus enabling the miller toweigh a sufficient amount of flour on the platform 10 to pay for theamount of wheat. To weigh out the proper quantity of bran, the hook 50of the rod 49 is adjusted to the graduation indicating ten on thenotched scale 23 and the bran is placed on the platform ll until thescale balances. Between the intervals of weighing the flour on theplatform 10 and the bran on the platform 11 it is necessary to adjustthe balance 21 if the hooks 45 50 of the rods 44 49, or either of them,are shifted on the scale-beam. It is not material whether the millerdoes or does not note the weight of the wheat, because the scale willindicate the quantity of flour or bran to be given in exchange for abushel of wheat. It would not be necessary to have the graduations andnotches 22 23 on the scale-beam if all the wheat brought to the millwere of a uniform standard, because the platforms 10 11 and the devicesassociated therewith would correctly compute the amount of flour andbran that each lot of wheat calls for, but it is a fact that nearlyevery farmer has a different grade of wheat, ranging from good to verybad, and this calls for a different ratio of flour and bran to thebushel of wheat.

The important feature connected with my improved scales is that theweighing mechanism associated with the platforms l0 and 11 may each beeasily and quickly adjusted from one grade to another of the dilferentsub IIS stances to be weighed on the respective platforms. If a customerbrings to the miller a lot of wheat that is of poor quality and in badcondition, the miller is not required to give him in exchange the samequantity of flour and bran, and it frequently happens that the customeris only entitled to receive about thirty pounds of flour and fourteenpounds of bran for each bushel of wheat. The miller now adjusts the hook45 of the platform opposite to the graduation of the notch and scale 22on the beam and now proceeds to weigh out the proper quantity of flourby using the platform 10 and the scale mechanism associated therewithand with the beam 13. The flour is removed from the platform 10, and thehook of the rod 4:9 is adjusted opposite to the graduation 14: of theseries of notches 23 on the scalebcam, the balance 21 being adjusted tobring the scales into balance. The miller now proceeds to weigh out therequisite quantity of bran by using the platform 11 and the weighingdevices associated therewith. It will therefore be seen that my improvedweighing mechanism is easily adjusted from one relative value to anotherin computing the difference in value between one commodity and anotherand that the scale is arranged to com pute from thirty to forty poundsof flour for each bushel of wheat and from ten to fourteen pounds ofbran to each bushel of wheat, although these ratios may be varied asdesired.

The improved scale, with a multiplicity of platforms, may be arranged toperform any kind of work that requires an exchange of commodities ofdifferent Value, such as eX- changing corn for meal or other commoditiesin that line.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. eighing-scales comprising a beam, a series ofplatforms, a lever mechanism associated with each platform, a rodconnected to the lever mechanism of one platform and having a pivotalconnection with said beam, and other rods connected individually withthe lever mechanisms of the remaining platforms and fitted shiftably atdifferent points to the 50 beam.

2. \Veighing-scales comprising a beam having different graduations atdifferent distances from the fulcrum thereof, a series of platforms, alever mechanism associated with each pl atform,and rods betweentherespective lever mechanisms and the beam, one or more of said rodshaving shiftable engagement with the beam.

WVeighing-scales comprisingabeam having separate rows of graduations atdifferent distances from the fulcrum thereof, a series of independentplatforms, different sets of lever mechanisms operatively related to therespective platforms, and rods independently connecting the respectivelever mechanisms with the beam, certain of said rods having shiftableengagement with the beam and relatively to the diiferent graduationsthereof.

4. Weighing-scales comprising abeam having separate sets of graduationsat different distances from the fulcrum thereof, a series of platforms,a lever mechanism associated with each platform, intermediate leversconnected with said platform-levers, a series of rods between theintermediate levers and the beam, and an adjustable balance carried bythe beam. g

5. \Veighing-scales comprisingabeamhaving independent sets ofgraduations at different distances from the fulcrum thereof, a series ofindependent platforms, levers operatively connected with said platforms,intermediate levers connected with the platformlevers, a rod connectedwith one intermediate lever and having a permanent pivotal connectionwith said beam, other rods connected with the respective intermediatelevers, each having a shiftable engagement with the beam and a' balancecarried by the beam.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JA'ooB ooLLINs.

Witnesses GUs. SHIPLEY, W. A. Fonnsrnn.

